Badgers blamed for Leicester road collapse

The closure of a country lane in Leicestershire which collapsed underfoot is being blamed on badgers.

The animals had tunnelled under the surface of the 1.5-mile lane between Somerby and the hamlet of Newbold, causing two large craters.

Highway engineers said that the road will have to be shut for at least three weeks as it remains impassable to most vehicles, according to the Leicester Mercury.

Horse riders from the nearby Somerby Equestrian Center reported the damage when the road collapsed after a car drove over one of the holes.

A worker from the center said that the animals were rife in the area and that she had even found a badger asleep in their office one winter.

A spokesman for Leicestershire County Council explained that while it wants the road reopened as quickly as possible, it will also have to be mindful of the badgers' habitat and is in touch with Natural England.